


Bedwarmer

by Trojie



Series: Trojie's Pornathon Entries 2011 [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Master/Servant, Shame, Sharing a Bed, Somnophilia, Summer Pornathon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-15
Updated: 2011-08-15
Packaged: 2017-10-22 15:35:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/239596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trojie/pseuds/Trojie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Warning is for non-con (somnophilia), but ending is happy.) Merlin's duties include bedwarming - chaste bedwarming. Arthur wishes he could let himself take it further.</p><p>Written for the Merlin Summer Pornathon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bedwarmer

Arthur does not care much for Merlin as a valet, nor on the hunt, nor as a squire, for he is careless and abrupt and apt to drop things and break them. But a manservant has many duties, and amongst them is bedwarming.

At first Merlin failed to understand the simple literalness of the title, and lay unresponsive and sullen in Arthur's bed, thinking his virtue was about to be sullied without his consent, but when no touches and no demands were forthcoming, when Arthur simply took him aside and explained, he became better. He strips unashamedly now, and he lies close enough to Arthur to fulfil his purpose.

And more importantly, he will allow Arthur to position him as he pleases, once he becomes dozy. His pliancy is sweet, a honeyed contrast to the fire of him during the day that Arthur relishes, and in turn, he acts softer with Merlin in bed than he would anywhere else. He curves him to his will, shaped to radiate warmth, all perfect and responsive, and in the depths of winter this should make Arthur sleep sounder, wake more refreshed and ready for his duties

But since Merlin started coming to him like this, Arthur cannot sleep.

Every evening, Merlin turns glazed eyes to him in the dull glow of the dying fire, and Arthur remembers that he swore not to do anything untoward. But oh, how he wants to - to suckle the soft skin of Merlin's wrists and turn them red with his marks, like the rub of manacles; to kiss that mouth and turn its pale innocence to red, wet, panting desire; to touch with his calloused hands the forbidden places of Merlin's body.

But he swore, and so he handles Merlin with honour and chastity, and then lets him go and settles with a decent distance between them. And every night, he's warmed by desire and shame more than by body-heat.

And then one night Merlin sighs in his sleep, and rolls over until they are facing, touching. One long-boned arm drapes across Arthur's hip, and a pressure alights against Arthur's thigh, a mirror to the state of arousal he himself is sporting.

And Arthur may be a prince but a prince is, at the root of it, only a man. He reaches out.

Merlin's sighs become moans as Arthur touches him. He slickens, Arthur's hand slides more easily, and Arthur buries his face in Merlin's neck and tries hard not to rut against him, to prevent himself from taking his pleasure, to punish himself for this weakness. He should stop, he knows that, but he cannot bear not to take this from Merlin.

 _Droit de seigneur_ may be lawful, this may be considered by the court to be Arthur's right, Arthur's due, but that he takes it without asking, so hot and wet, so good, so hunger-making and addicting, is wrong.

Merlin's eyelids flutter as he spends, and that draws Arthur out into unwilling, desperate gasps. Arthur's dishonour smirches Merlin's skin in a flood, a rush he cannot control.

Afterwards, he sleeps as he hasn't been able to since Merlin first came to his bed. And in the morning, Merlin runs a finger across his belly, over Arthur's where they're still wrapped together too close for honour's sake, and his face asks a gentle question.

Arthur cannot answer.

'I dreamt of you,' Merlin whispers. 'I dreamt you knew what was in my heart, and broke your vow. I dreamt your honour could not withstand my love.'

'I'm sorry,' Arthur says hoarsely.

Merlin smiles. 'Only be sorry if it was truly a dream.'


End file.
